Average velocity and speed worked example
Solving a word problem to find average velocity and speed of an object in one-dimension.
Solving a word problem to find average velocity and speed of an object in one-dimension.
In this unit you will apply your understanding of the components of motion in one dimension using linear equations. This will help you to solve problems about motion in one direction and equip you to understand how these concepts apply to everyday life.
There are three equations for linear motion with constant acceleration. They can be used to calculate, and therefore predict, the outcome of motion when three out of the four variables are known.
The amount of effort saved when using machines is called mechanical advantage (MA). Simple machines use mechanical advantage as a key property to their functionality, helping humans perform tasks that would require more force than a person could produce. We will use the lever as an example of a simple machine to illustrate the concept of mechanical advantage.
Determining how fast something will be traveling upon impact when it is released from a given height.
Explore the various forces acting on a block sitting on an inclined plane. Learn how to break the force of gravity into two components - one perpendicular to the ramp and one parallel to the ramp. Finally, using geometry and trigonometry, learn how to calculate the magnitude of each component of force that is acting on the block.
Instantaneous speed is a measurement of how fast an object is moving at that particular moment. Instantaneous velocity is a vector quantity that includes both the speed and the direction in which the object is moving. Learn how to find an object’s instantaneous speed or velocity in three ways - by using calculus, by looking at the slope of a given point on a graph of an object’s rate vs. time, or by using kinematic formulas if the object’s acceleration is constant.
In this unit we will learn how these factors can affect the output of a simple machine. We will also learn about the difference between ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) and actual mechanical advantage (AMA), and how to apply your knowledge to calculate the efficiency of various simple machines.
In this chapter, we’ll use vectors to expand our understanding of forces and motion into two dimensions. Most real-world physics problems (such as with the game of pool pictured here) are, after all, either two- or three-dimensional problems and physics is most useful when applied to real physical scenarios. We start by learning the practical skills of graphically adding and subtracting vectors (by using drawings) and analytically (with math). Once we’re able to work with two-dimensional vectors, we apply these skills to problems of projectile motion, inclined planes, and harmonic motion.
You want a projectile to fly as far as possible, at which angle should you launch it? We'll start with formulas for the initial velocity.